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Registered Clinical Counselling | East Vancouver | Commercial Drive
A collection of books that have influenced my practice
The Body Keeps the Score
Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
A core read on the neurobiology of trauma. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk shows how the body and brain are literally changed by trauma, and how we can activate the brain’s natural neuroplasticity for healing. This book is a foundational read and great first step in understanding trauma.
No Bad Parts
Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model
Written by the creator of IFS, Dr. Richard Schwartz, this book gives a full picture of parts work, and how to listen to and work with all parts of ourselves - including protective, lonely, critical, and numb parts. It gives a really clear breakdown to a lot of the work that's done in sessions.
Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors
Overcoming Internal Self-Alienation
Dr. Janina Fisher writes about the theory behind her trauma-informed model of parts work. Her modality works to create an internal sense of safety and compassionate connection to even our most disowned parts. This book dives deep into how different parts of our brains helped us navigate our worlds, and it is the basis for the therapy I do.
Unmasking Autism
Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity
Devon Price speaks from his experience as a queer Autistic person on how people learn to mask in an unaccepting neurotypical society. He talks about how embracing autism means shedding that mask and finding safe ways to share yourself with the world.
Please Yourself:
How to Stop People Pleasing and Transform the Way You Live
This book helps to identify where people pleasing comes from, and how it can be more about managing others' responses as a way of protecting or regulating oneself. It's full of exercises and reflections on how to be kind to ourselves while still being there for others.
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents
This book is for adults who are impacted by their immature, unavailable, or selfish parent. It shows ways to have more choice and wisdom in how you react to them, as well as how to to avoid disappointment. It's a book that has helped lots of my clients and given language to their experiences, as a well as showing a way out of painful relationship dynamics.
The Highly Sensitive Person
Dr. Elaine Aron describes the term Highly Sensitive Person, and the research behind it. The book helps identify the trait and how you can better understand yourself and your trait to create a fuller, richer life. It's been an eye opening book for many of my clients.
(Also by the same author: The Highly Sensitive Child, and The Highly Sensitive Peron in Love).
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
A therapist, her therapist...and her observations and insights, both clinical and personal. The author talks about her clients, what goes on in her mind as a therapist, and her own experience in the client seat. It speaks with humour of all the mistakes and strides that we make as humans.
The State of Affairs
Rethinking Infidelity
Esther Perel covers the very common and yet poorly understood topic of affairs in relationships. She looks at what infidelity reveals to us regarding what we want, feel entitled to, and expect in relationships. This book deepens the conversation around an often limited and polarized topic.
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